Can You Remember Your First Concert?

That must have been good ! 

It probably was.  You have to remember that in the 1960s there was loads of live music going on, you could go to a gig any night of the week, with the good stuff on a Friday and Saturday night.  So the first gig I went to was probably at the local football club (or similar) when I was a about 12.  It would have cost pennies.

So it probably sent thrills through my body but I can't remember it.

Even the Saturday night gigs.  We used to go to the Brentwood Jazz Club where, at this time the resident band was someone called John Mayall - this is pre Clapton era. John Mayall used to play every fortnight and in between would see guest bands, like The Cheynes (Mick Fleetwood) and The Rolling Stones. I also saw Screaming Lord Sutch in Romford and Hendrix at the Upper Cut on Boxing day 66 or 6, but if you ask me what order they came in then I couldn't tell you.

Oh nearly forgot saw a group at a free gig in mid week in Romford in 1965, they were called The High Numbers.  They changed their name later but I can't remember WHO they became.

But my first gig would have been some ropey band, for an entrance of approx. 10d in the Romford area, in about 1962/3.

Sorry

Humble Pie in the early 70s with Steve Marriot & Peter Frampton.

My first rock concert was the Edgar Broughton Band at the Winter Gardens in Malvern in about 1971, to be honest apart from it being VERY LOUD, I can’t remember much about it.

The second classical concert I went to (after La Traviata the week before) was Sadler’s Wells, Twilight of the Gods at the Birmingham Hippodrome in 1974.

Amazingly I saw Malcolm Rivers, who sang Alberich back then, also sing the same role in Longborough Opera’s complete Ring Cycle last year.

The same building, but different concert room, where I was at my first concert. See Opening post.

ATB from George

Yes, I did notice, it’s a small world!

I have been to a few concerts there as well; various classical & also Stephane Grappelli sometime in the 70’s.

I attended a Grapellli Concert in the Shrewsbury Music Hall [an ancient Georgian or earlier building] between 1981 and 1984, when I persuaded some young bucks of similar age that it would be worthwhile! It certainly was!

We sat in the choir and at the end of each number the Meastro turned round for us at the applause. the music was never to be forgotten by me at least ...

ATB from George

Edgar Broughton Band was one of my favourites - Out Demons Out one of my first singles I bought, coming out just after I first had a system to play it on - saw them a couple of dozen time but mainly in the late 70s-late 80s when I lived on edge of London. (My moniker from a song title of theirs). Still listen to the records. Last saw Edgar solo about 18 months ago.

La Traviata I didn't see until about 10-12 years ago - my opera renaissance didn't happen until almost the turn of the century, WNO's performance of Turandot in Cardiff hooked me head over heels.  I'd tried Carmen on teh strength of liking teh music some years earlier, but it did nothing for me.

Strangely my first rock gig was also Edgar Broughton at a college in/near  Walthamstow in about 1969/70. I also remember  the volume and my ears humming for about 3 days after.

I was at Essex Univ in the early 70s and the Broughton's used to come up to our flat and get stoned with us when they gigged there.  One of the guys in the flat used go to school with one of them.  Whatever happened to them, they were a very tight band.

The loudest band I ever saw was Curved Air!  Silvia Christel wore a see-through blouse and NO vest - luvly jubbly.  But man were they ever loud.  We migrated to the back but I remember looking up at one time and a couple guys were dancing in front of one of the speaker stacks.  Pretty sure they were atomic powered so there would have been a radiation danger too.

There support band was either Genesis or Roxy Music (early 70s), neither of them were yet well known and were both rubbish that night.  The reason I can't remember is that we also saw the Jack Bruce Band and their support band was either.... etc.

We were probably stoned too, I know Jack Bruce was.

Bill - you were definitely stoned.

Sylvia "Christel" [sic] was star of 1970s perv/spotty boy softcore favourite "Emmanuelle". She may have well worn see-through blouses but as far as I know never sang in a rock group:

The singer of Curved Air was Sonja Kristina:

 Good story though.

Absolutely right Kevin, I still play a fair bit of early Curved Air. Sonja Kristina still manages to thrill. Not that I have anything against Sylvia Christel - unfortunately; she may well have a lovely voice.

 I think you mean Sonja Christina.

Saw Curved Air once, about 1972, but sadly the top was not see-through... Not that loud when I saw them, though I always avoided getting in front of speakers!.  Can't remember who was loudest - it was quite common for ears to be ringing still the next day in those days.

My Freudian slip is showing!  But you have to admit that they were both absolutely gorgeous with a capital GORG - can't see their slips or vests!  I had forgotten all about the Emmanuelle films and now you have started me off again.

I am just popping over to Amazon....

Talking about smut - I was listening to Ian Dury and t'Blockheads last night.  The way that guy took the smutty, group of blokes hanging shopping precinct at night language and wove it into music from a truly great band to produce something quite wonderful.  I never saw Ian Dury but in more recent years have seen the Blockheads a few times and they really are a great band.  They had Phil Jupitus at one gig to sing Billericay Dicky - great stuff. Norman Watt-Roy is one of my top ten bass guitarists, along with people like: Jack Bruce (Cream), Phil Lesh (The Dead), Andy Fraser (Free), Pete Entwhistle (Who), Jack Casady (Airplane), Felix Pappalardi (Mountain).

What great bassists have I missed guys?

Is that the Pete Entwhistle who played with John Townsend, Roger Moon and Keith Daltrey?

No,  they were in "The What" !!! 

Nope it's the one who has a fruit and veg stall in Romford market.  They say your memory goes when you get older but I have forgotten the last time I forgot something.

ps just to add The Who is one of my favourite all-time bands and I have seen them as The Who and The High Numbers.  So I shouldn't really have got the names mixed up!

The bass solo from Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick is part of the the Grade 8 Bass exam.

one of the best live bands, I think - saw them first in about 1971 (time of Who's Next, and most recently about 5 years ago (and Roger Daltrey doing Tommy only a year or two about) - still good, hope they don't die before they get old... (Sadly two did)

We saw The High Numbers in 1964 or 5 (I think) at an Irish Snooker club in Romford.  Me and my mates were the only ones watching them, they were awesome, totally awesome.  At that time they were more of a bluesy type band all four of them were incredible.  But of course Looney Mooney stood out.

They performed on a tiny stage, so good job they never had a brass section and at the break we got chatting to them.  Now you ain't gonna believe this but honestly it's true.  Townshend had this beautiful Rickenbacker guitar, it was drop-dead gorgeous and I was seriously drooling.  I asked him if I could have a play of it and he let me!!!!!  But before he gave it over to me and this is the bit you won't believe, he asked me to be very careful with it because he had just bought it on HP.  Mind you Rickys are very fragile.

A couple of months later and now back to being The Who, which they were before they become The High Numbers, they released 'I Can't Explain' and the rest is history.  But when I see film of Joshua (lol) Townshend smashing up guitars I always have a little smile to myself.

We were in a little group ourselves at the time, doing covers of blues songs and such like but we weren't quite as good as them.

@Daveas - Grade 8 bass guitar exam, I bet old Norm is chuffed at that.  He is a cracking bass player.

Actually in my list I should have included Danny Thompson, although more known as an acoustic guy he really is a superb player.  Saw him with Pentangle and John Martyn.

This discussion just leads you onto more and greats, already the above has made me start thinking of John Martyn, Bert Jansch & John Renbourn.  3 crackers you have to agree.

That tops anything I could say about basses or player! Nearest I could get, and a poor second, is I made my own bass in about 1973 out of ABS plastic, flying-V shape (vheavy and neck  bowed a bit over time). I took to my local home-from-home, music venue and drinking hole, the White Bear pub in Hounslow, where the bassist of a local band had a go on it so I could hear it on a proper amp and speaker, as opposed to my hiFi. He played in a band called Roccoco on Fridays and The Sunday Band on ...Sundays. Neither band got anywhere, but he's now Status Quo's bassist, 'Rhino' Edwards, and he never did return the copy of Wishbone 4 I lent him...  

I had a Hoffner Club 40, still have it.  When I bought it it was strung left-handed and I always l like to think it was the one Macca had before he went to Bass Playing.

I later bought a Strat and a Guild Acoustic.

There are loads of guitars I would like to buy if I had lots and lots of dosh.  A Grestch White Falcon, A top of the range Paul Reed Smith, a Taylor Acoustic, a Bo Diddley square Gibson, a tear-drop Vox like Brian Jones used to play.  I could go on, I am sweating just thinking about some of these babies!

Anyone old enough to remember package tours?

For a few bob, one got to see one or more headlining acts, plus support bands.

Glasgow Odeon, back in the mists of time :

Joint top of the bill - Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley, (Chuck won that argument, and closed the show).

Act who closed the first half - The Rolling Stones, who'd just released their first single.

Blimey!

Dave

Unfortunately I was too young, but my sister went to see Hendrix play at the Gaumont in Worcester in 1967 when he was on tour with The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens & Englebert Humperdinck!

What a night that must have been.

I have just found this video on youtube which claims to be from that gig.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDPiHLiTChw

Blimey indeed - what a gig!

When we was young, me and mates that is, we took Bluesmen names.  So we had guys like Muddy Brewer, Sleepy John  Evans etc.  I suppose I should have been Big Bill Broonzy, but that would have been exactly the same as the original and that was against the rules, so we had Big Bill Brown.  At that time I loved all the blues & r&b men but for me then was one top man and so I became Chuck Billy.  Now how sad is that?